Jyun was surrounded by recording phones and prying eyes, and he stood there, blood leaking from his hand, and a dead body under him.
He growled, saying, "I made it..HAHA! I made it!"
The curious crowd around him commented:
"What realm is he from?"
"That power..what is that from?"
"It doesn't match with any of the 6 Celestial Spirits. Someone get a Judge down here."
"Wait! He's pretty cute, down run him off yet."
"Look at him!"
"He beat that rampaging cultivator with one blow.."
"It had to be done..those things, once theyere possessed, nothing can cast the possession out of them. Killing them is the only way, which is sad. I hate it."
Jyun responded, "Huh? Those Spirit bastards are here too?"
Jyun's appearance resembled something that was unfamiliar, never heard of. With his dark reddish orange skin and pointy ears, reddish yellow eyes and wavy black and red hair, his form was definitely unfamiliar. Even though there were beings on earth that weren't human, the Tournament Judges knew what realm they were from, a realm they had made a pact with.
Jyun thought, 'Azarael mentioned those things. The Celestial Spirits, also known as the Celestial Entities, are beings that cultivators can bond with for more power. I forgot what their names were, but I know Azarael hated them. Those Judges were the ones who killed them, and I had to watch. Azarael wanted to absorb the essence of all the Entities power, becoming immortal and ascend to higher plane of existence. Was that so hard to ask for? Now..here I am, to carry out your dream, Azarael.'
"Shit. Where'd he come from?" A woman's voice questioned in the background as she approached.
A male voice lingered off of her question, "Some kind of dragon looking thing."
Jyun turned around, and saw a man and a woman, dressed in a black priest-like robe. And they were smoking a cigarette.
Jyun grinned maliciously, "Hehe…fucking Judges.."
The woman had a braided ponytail that was white and black, and she had an eye patch, and her eyes were dark blue. "He knows us. Thought we could be more mysterious, Bo-Lang."
Bo-Lang, the male, replied, "Damn right, Xinha."
He had slick parted black hair, brown eyes, a scar on his cheek, and dark bags under his eyes like he was tired or something.
Jyun said, "You're those tournament people, huh?"
Bo-Lang answered, "Why ask if you already know?"
Xinha suggested, "He's not a familair being here."
Jyun thought, 'Should I reveal that I plan to take over their world and slaughter everyone? No, no. I should keep a cool head. I only know about the tournaments and the Celestial Spirits. That's it.'
Bo-Lang said to Xinha, "Dear, look over that body, see what the hell's gotten into that man. This is the second damn cultivator outbreak today."
Xinha sighed, "Why can't you do it?" She sluggishly made her way to the body of the cultivator Jyun had killed, and put her hand over his body, and her eyes glowing golden.
The body was glowing, and the crowd around her said:
"That's the Sixth Palm technique of hers, the Search Palm.."
Jyun thought, 'That technique…I guess it allows her to scan bodies and see what's in them.'
Xinha said to Bo-Lang, "Yep. Same as the first guy. Some kind of poison, a dark power. Killing him was the only way to stop him from rampaging anymore. This dragon boy here saved these people it seems."
"Or he probably didn't even know. He just wanted to kill, ain't that right?"
Jyun answered, scratching the back of his nervously, "Y-Yeah, of course!"
'I'm definitely lying. That human man attacked me, so I sliced him up. What the hell is up with that? Don't they have Judges who can handle that or heal them? Azarael told me the Judges are some of the most powerful cultivators in this world. Those are the ones who defeated him. And Azarael was Demon Dragon Sovereign rank, that second strongest Cultivation rank for our kind.'
Bo-Lang stepped up to Jyun, saying, "Wanna take a walk?"
"No thanks."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"I'll get you food."
"Okay I'll go."
"Great."
Suddenly, the both of them vanished, and then they reappeared in an open field, but that field was dark, the sky was red and black, and the ground was full of dead bodies, bodies of beings from other realms. They were standing in the middle of a city, with tall black buildings in the distance.
Jyun gasped, and Bo-Lang put his hand on his shoulder, saying with the cigarette lingering off the side of his mouth, "Tell me something."
"..What the hell.."
"Where are you from?"
"Tch…why do you want to know so bad?"
"Because the Judges aren't as stupid as you think. You look like that demon that invaded this world years ago. Tell me..are you his reincarnate?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
'This Judge..he's insane! What's with all of these bodies? Bodies..bodies everywhere..'
Bo-Lang continued, "What realm are you from?"
"Where are we?"
"A pocket realm I designed. From the bonds I created with a Celestial Spirit using Xianjing, I can do just about what I want here. These bodies on the ground, they're from outsiders like you who come here seeking to do some mean shit. They even admitted it, wanting to fight me in the process. So I wanna know where you are from, or you'll end up like them."
Jyun clenched his fists, thinking, 'In the world of cultivation, where the veil between the divine and mortal realms is as thin as the whispers of ancient spirits, there exists a power system known as "Xianjing" (Celestial Vein). This framework is the lifeblood of martial prowess and the essence of cosmic communion, binding the powers of myth and the will of humanity in a symbiotic dance of strength and wisdom. Xianjing is fundamentally about forming a pact with celestial phenomena or divine entities to channel otherworldly energy into martial skills. Cultivators draw from the boundless reservoirs of the universe, harnessing constellations, mythical beasts, ancestral spirits, and divine personages as their sources of power. Each pact, once forged, creates a unique resonance known as "Yuanjie" (Resonant Bond) with the chosen phenomenon, tailoring the cultivator's abilities to their celestial patron. In this world, there only exists 6 Celestial Entities that cultivators can draw power from. But there are plenty more cosmic forces out there. The Entities related to this world are the only ones earth has made a pact with, in exchange for the essence and life energy of the world itself, which would definitely benefit the entities as well…should I tell the truth? Should I lie? I'm not as strong as Azarael, I've only reached Fledgling Abyss rank, so..I don't know. From my realm, a land of hybrids between dragons and demons, we had an entire different cultivation system. Which means, I'm about as power as a strong human here. Should I fight? Test his ability? I don't want my mission to be over as soon as it started..'
Jyun opened his mouth, "I'm not here to do anything-."
"Yet, you resemble the Dragonborn demon Azarael. Only the Judges know about that realm of hybrids, we keep it a secret away from humans. But I heard there weren't a lot of you left."
"..There isn't. Can you let me go now? I'm not here to do anything evil. Since there's not a lot of my kind from my realm, I'm here looking to see if there's any others like me out there. Earth has a good source of spiritual energy."
"Mmm. For some reason I don't believe that."
'This grip..he's pretty strong. And what does he mean he doesn't believe me? That was the best damn lie I ever came up with!'
"I'll let you go if you choose to fight though." Bo-Lang
"So be it then."
"But it confuses me, why the dragons and demons even began to mate with each other years ago, to make hybrids.."
"Don't know, don't care."
Jyun and Bo-Lang jumped back from each other, and Bo-Lang said, "If you win, I'll hear you out. If not, you die. I am the master of mythic beasts, conjurer of darkness and light. His eyes gleam with the resolve to merge with the celestial and infernal creatures of legend, becoming an avatar of their collective power-."
Jyun leaps forward, his Whisperwind Escape leaving a smoky trail as he closes the distance between them with predatory swiftness. Bo-Lang's eyes flare, invoking the spectral form of a Direwolf of Light, its radiant fangs bared towards the oncoming threat. Their collision sends shockwaves, toppling the darkened husks of nearby buildings.
'Defeat him fast..!' Jyun thought. 'I'm in the first rank of DragonBorn Cultivation..will this be enough?'
(Fledgling Abyss Rank)
- *Crimson Ember Claw:* Unleashes a claw of burning shadows which can slice through stone.
- *Searing Nightmare Veil:* Enshrouds the user in an aura that induces terror in the weak-minded.
- *Whisperwind Escape:* A swift, smoking dash that leaves only the smell of brimstone.
With an incantation, Bo-Lang fuses with the Direwolf, a ferocious beast made up of dark energy, his body aglow with an overpowering luminescence. Jyun unleashes his Searing Nightmare Veil, wrapping himself in shadows that thirst for the light. They collide, light against dark, a montage of ethereal claws raking through the air, neither yielding.
Racing through the crimson skies, Bo-Lang, now soaring on the wings of the Heaven's Hawk, dives and weaves between the ruins. Jyun, relentless, streaks behind, his Whisperwind Escape leaving a trail of brimstone. Feathers and shadow dance in a deadly ballet high above the city's remains.
'This demon brat..he's got skill.' Bo-Lang thought, pursuing further.
A roar quakes the ground as Bo-Lang calls forth the Gorgon Serpent of Shadows, its eyes ablaze with dark flames. Jyun's ember claws slash forward, igniting the revenant swarm summoned by his foe, their cries filling the air with agony as they are consumed by the inferno.
As Jyun's aura intensifies, the minds of spectral beings littered across the ground convulse. Bo-Lang, resisting the pull of madness, merges with the stoic Thunder Rhino, channeling its indomitable will. Lightning arcs, dispelling illusions of fear, shredding the nightmare veil.
Their battle crashes back to the ground, with Bo-Lang, now armored in Rhino's hide, and Jyun shattering stone beneath their blows. Each strike sparks a flurry of debris, the city crumbling further into oblivion.
Bo-Lang chants, the spectral forms of the fallen raising to fight for him. Jyun snarls, his ember claws cleaving through specters, rendering them to dust. Yet for each that falls, two more take its place. Blades of wind and fire carve signatures of ruin. Jyun's claw meets Bo-Lang's Spectral Sword, now a manifestation of his mythic might. A choreography of evasions, their movements are an art form—deadly and beautiful.
Bo-Lang summons the Shadow Leviathan, its tendrils like chains seeking to ensnare Jyun. The demon's ember claw shatters one, two, three—yet he is caught, the chains searing and binding him. Enraged, Jyun's strength surges. He breaks free, his power now an uncontrollable maelstrom of shadows and flame, tearing through the bonds and scorning the Leviathan back into the abyss. Not to be outdone, Bo-Lang merges with the Chimera of Eclipse, a creature of all elements. Earth, air, fire, and water whirl around him in a vortex, challenging Jyun's might.
Trapped within the elemental storm, Jyun's endurance is tested as he shields himself with wings of shadow. With a mighty heave, he disrupts the cyclone, sending shards of elemental ice and stone in all directions, freeing himself.
Escaping near defeat, Jyun emerges with wounds that steam as they heal, a testament to his demon vitality. His ember claw surges with renewed intensity, a carving scythe through the air.
The battle becomes ferocious; close quarters reveal the glint of Jyun's claws meeting the summoned spectral daggers from Bo-Lang's conjured Wraith Knight. Strikes meet blocks in a rapid exchange as gashes appear on both warriors, oozing with the otherworldly ichor, the scent of iron and sulfur mingling in the heavy air. Jyun, eyes blazing, pushes forward with relentless strikes, each claw swipe intended to end the battle. Bo-Lang's own ferocity matches with the essence of the Lion of Judgement, granting him swift, powerful counterattacks. They are locked in a dance where each step could spell doom.
Their combat causes the ground to break and the air to shudder—a symphony of destruction crescendos around them. Their footfalls echo like the poundings of war drums, laying waste to whatever structures remain standing. Through each other's blood-soaked visages, they see only their adversary.
Both fighters are now wounded, their life forces seeping into the black stone beneath. Bo-Lang, drawing from the Hydra of Endless Regrowth, begins to heal.
Jyun gritted his teeth, thinking, 'Tch. This bastard is healing..when he isn't even fighting for real. He's been summoning so many beasts of light and darkness..and he can use their abilities and even merge with them..he's insane..'
In the brief moment of unity, Bo-Lang seizes a whispered secret from the Oracle of the Departed—a strategy to exploit. As the Beast retreats, he infuses the Oracle's knowledge within his next summon, the Golem of Penitent Strikes, and launches at Jyun with a calculated barrage, each hit intended to strike at Jyun's weakest points revealed by the Oracle.
'That Oracle..it's revealing my weaknesses!'
Jyun, realizing the tide of battle has shifted with the Oracle's intervention, calls forth the dark energy within him with a roar that shakes the very fabric of the pocket realm. His next movements are frenetic, unpredictable, like the chaotic essence of shadow itself, dodging and weaving through Bo-Lang's new offensive.
The sky darkens further; the pocket realm's energy condenses, sensing the apex of the confrontation. The fighters' bloodied forms are outlined against the dimming light as they exchange strikes, refusing to succumb, their wills etched into every ferocious motion.
10 minutes later..
Jyun and Bo-Lang stood a few feet away from each other, breathing heavily, covered in blood.
Jyun said, "Now..are you happy?"
"Even though I was only using half my power, I haven't had this much fun in a while. Fine then, I'll hear you out."